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TOKYO, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Hang dragon lanterns, dance long dragons, taste Chinese food, and listen to stories about the Year ......of the DragonIn the past few days, many places in Japan have held colorful Spring Festival celebrations for the Year of the Dragon, so that more and more Japanese people and overseas Chinese can feel the fun and charm of China's excellent traditional culture in a strong festive atmosphere.
On the evening of February 9, Tokyo Tower, a landmark building in Tokyo, Japan, was lit up with "China Red" to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yue Chenxing.
At the Chinese Cultural Center in Tokyo, dragon-related illuminations, shadow puppets, ornaments, face paintings, and the word "dragon" in oracle bone inscriptions decorate the cultural center with joy. On the 8th, the Japanese writer and translator Masaharu Ikegami, who wrote the book "The World of Dragons", held a lecture here to introduce the various forms of "dragons" of Chinese culture to the audience in the form of ***. From the dragon of the Ganzhi chronology, to the jade dragon unearthed in Inner Mongolia, the dragon in the oracle bone inscription, and then to the dragon in the Analects, the idiom and the drone flying dragon ...... in ShenzhenIkegami's lecture was an eye-opener. Ikegami said that China's "dragon" culture is much richer than Japan's. "Understanding China through dragons is a good way to understand Chinese culture. ”
At Tokyo's Ueno Park, the 2024 Ueno Panda Spring Festival is in full swing starting from Chinese New Year's Eve. Activities such as jubilant and jumping lion dances, amazing Sichuan opera face changes, and elegant and charming Hanfu shows make local people sigh at the excitement of traditional Chinese culture. During the event, the China Tourism Office in Tokyo launched a special booth, with a variety of cute and festive "auspicious dragon" ornaments, giant panda dolls, and intangible cultural heritage crafts full of "New Year's flavor" to make the audience linger. The famous Japanese panda photographer Gao Shiguibo, who has just returned from the "Giant Panda 'Xiangxiang' Japanese Family and Friends Group Visiting Relatives Tour", also put the latest photographic works about "Xiangxiang" in the booth, so that many Japanese panda fans can understand the pain of lovesickness for "Xiangxiang".
On February 11, two children were lanterns for the Spring Festival in Chinatown, Yokohama, Japan. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yue Chenxing.
Yokohama Chinatown is a must-see for Japanese people to experience the atmosphere of the Chinese New Year. During the Spring Festival, Chinatown is lit up and bustling with lights. Watching traditional cultural performances such as dragon dances and lion dances, and tasting Chinese specialties, tourists feel the strong flavor of the Chinese New Year here. A European and American tourist said: "We enjoyed the dragon dance and enjoyed the crowded atmosphere, and we would wait until the evening when the lanterns were lit before leaving." A Chinese in Japan said: "We specially bought Hanfu from China, and wore Hanfu to Chinatown during the Spring Festival to experience the Chinese cultural atmosphere." I wish the motherland prosperity and peace and security. ”
At Tennoji Park in Osaka, the three-day "2024 Osaka Spring Festival Festival" attracted more than 200,000 people. In addition to the dragon dance and lion dance, performances such as the Northeast Yangge and the Internet celebrity dance "Subject 3" also allow the local people to fully experience the joyful atmosphere of the Chinese festival. Visitors were delighted with local Chinese delicacies from Xinjiang and other places, with many stalls selling out early in the morning. This year is the first time that the United Nations has designated the Spring Festival as a United Nations holiday, and the organizers have also invited people from Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia, Nepal, Myanmar and other countries to join in the Osaka Spring Festival.
People visit Chinatown in Yokohama, Japan, on February 11. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yue Chenxing.
Nagasaki has a long history of commercial and trade exchanges with China since ancient times. On the occasion of the Spring Festival of the Year of the Dragon, Nagasaki holds the Year of the Dragon Lantern Exhibition, which is 10 meters high and 4The 5-meter dragon is dazzlingly lit. According to the organizers, the lantern show will last from the first day of the Lunar New Year to the Lantern Festival, and it is expected that more than 1.3 million visitors will be visited.
The lights are colorful and jubilant. More and more Japanese people are immersed in the Spring Festival celebrations held in many places, not only experiencing the joy and charm of traditional Chinese festivals, but also feeling the warmth and warmth exuded by China's excellent traditional culture. (Xinhua News Agency reporters Guo Dan and Li Guangzheng participating reporters: Zhang Yiyi, Yue Chenxing, Yang Guang).